Electric 4WD vehicle allows users to "Zoom" off-road

Just because you have difficulty walking doesn't mean that you should be limited to the smooth sidewalks and asphalt paths of the world ... at least, not according to folks at Sweden's Zoomability. Their Zoom 4-wheel drive electric vehicle can be operated entirely by hand, allowing people with limited mobility – or anyone else – to get in some off-road action.

The vehicle has a unique steel frame design, that keeps all four aluminum wheels in contact with the ground at all times. Those wheels are clad in 16 x 2.5-inch pneumatic all-terrain tires and feature hydraulic disc brakes.

Two 48-volt lithium-iron-phosphate batteries provide power to four 1,000-watt hub motors, one in each wheel. This results in a combined torque of approximately 120 Nm (88.5 ft lb) and a top speed of 12 mph (19 km/h), which can be reached in under two seconds.

Charging takes from two to four hours, with a full charge providing a range of 25 to 35 miles (40 to 56 km) depending on use.

The Zoom in its element (Photo: Peter Venema)

The vehicle tips the scales at 150 lb (68 kg), and can accommodate riders weighing up to 220 lb (100 kg). It has a tire-center-to-tire-center track width of 26 inches (66 cm) and a ground clearance of 7 inches (178 mm).

The Zoom has actually been sold in Sweden, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Finland and Germany for about three years now. It has also been available to wounded US Army veterans via the The Independence Fund, although Zoomability is now in the process of launching a network of independent US sales reps, selling vehicles directly to the general public. The company also plans on expanding into other markets in the next couple of years.

Other powered off-road "wheelchairs" include the HexHog, UNiMO, Tomahawk and Ziesel, although they're all considerably more tank-like than the Zoom.

Prospective buyers can locate the closest agent by contacting the company via the first link below. The Zoom is priced at US$12,000, and can be seen in action in the following video.